Starters setup for casting

[Jimmydaux]

Ok, So would anyone be willing to list off what all I would need to start casting?

Heres what I know

Bullet mould & handles
Lead
Lead Furnace
Lubrisizer
Lube

Is there anything else? Or is there any of what I listed thats not important?

Its still going to be a while before I jump into this but If i can start piecing it together now it might help a bit. Thanks guys

Jeremy

[VTDW]

Add a decent scale to your list if you plan on mixing much alloy. Mine only weighs up to 11# but it is all I need. Something for an ingot mold and something to dip off the dross.

[AZ-Stew]

Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook.

A 16"x16" (min) piece of 3/4 plywood to set your casting pot on for stability and as a place to catch spills and drips so as not to damage the table surface below.

An old terry cloth towel to catch the bullets dropped from the mould so they don't get dented.

An old pair of slip-joint or medium weight long-nose pliers to pick up sprues and defective bullets for return to the melt in the casting pot.

Leather gloves.

Safety glasses.

Sizing die(s) and top punch(es) for your lubrisizer.

There are other "nice to have" items, such as a casting thermometer (you might want to read this thread, under Casting Equipment on this forum: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=18893 ), and a lead hardness tester, but these can come later. You don't absolutely need them to start.

Regards,

Stew

[pumpguy]

I would add a well ventilated place to do my casting. I only use a towel to air cool my hunting boolits. Otherwise, I wad up a towel and shove it into a 5 gollon bucket of water. This slows them down when I drop them into the water for quenching.

[Powderpacker]

Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook.
Stew

Also, Joe Brennan's excelent "Cast Bullets for the Beginner & Expert" published by the Cast Bullet Association . A lot of good info to supplement the Lyman book. You'll just have to overlook the misspelling of "boolit" in both books .

[buck1]

Hammer handle or wood stick to open mold,spoon for dross, flux such as wax, a large pot and burner to alloy in, ladle, tin, ingot mold (cupcake pans work), long sleeve shirt, and as Stew said""Safety glasses.""....Buck

[Namerifrats]

Just like the others said. Heres a list of my "equipment"

Basics for casting-
Welder's Gloves from Harbor Freight- $5
Laser Thermometer from Harbor Freight - $58 (goes up to 1100 Degrees)
Lee Pro 20 Melter w Bottom Pour from Midway USA- $60
I have two, double cavity molds (500 S&W and 9x18 Makarov) both $18 ea from Midway USA
Hammer Handle for popping sprue plate- Flea Market $1
Lymann Ladle-$15 Midway USA
Gulf Wax Parafin for fluxing- $2 from Wal-Mart
Lead Wheel Weights- Free to $20 for 150lb bucket

Basics for Smelting WW's-
Cheap Cast Iron spoon, fork, and ladle- $7 Ebay
Cast Iron Cornbread Muffin Pans- $3 ea Flea Market
20 of those little cheap metal "condiment cups" from Wal-Mart- $0.95 ea (Make really nice 1lb ingots!
4 cheap Muffin pans- $3 ea Wal-Mart
Heavy Duty Cast Iron Dipper- $11 Small Local General Store just like the ones from Bill Ferguson only cheaper

Most important of all, learning valuable information from the guys on this site that helped me and answered my questions- PRICELESS!!!


Other things are a 5 gallon bucket of cold water in you wish to quench harden your bullets. Just keep it away from the pot. I cast on a patio table behind my house and keep the bucket about 8-9 ft behind me (I prefer to stand and cast) so I just step over to it after popping the sprue and drop'em from the mold into the water.
Also, a shallow cheap oven pan with an old cheap towel soaked with water to touch your mold to (with bullets in the cavities) to cool it down a little every few cast.